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SKM4323
PRINCIPLE OF WELL TESTING
The pressure can be measured:
– in the well where the flow rate has been
changed: this is the method used in most tests.
– or in another well: this is the aim of
interference test.
Darcy’s Law
• The flow rate of a fluid flowing through a rock
sample is proportional to:
– the pressure gradient applied to the rock sample.
– the sample’s cross‐section, A.
– the mobility of the fluids, k/μ.
• Valid within a time interval when the flow rate and
other parameters are constant.
• Does not depend on the porosity of the medium, or
on the compressibility of either the fluids or the
rock.
Darcy’s Law…/2
• The vectorial expression of Darcy’s law
→ k
q =− A grad p (1.1)
μ
• Darcy’s law can also be expressed as a function of the
fluid’s filtration rate
→
→ q
V= (1.2)
A
→ k (1.3)
V = − grad p
μ
Darcy’s Law…/3
• Darcy’s law in radial flow is expressed by:
k ∂p
q = − 2π rh (1.4)
μ ∂r
• It can be integrated between two values of distance from
the well, rw and re
2π kh p w − p e
q=− (1.5)
μ rw
ln
re
Compressibility
• The compressibility of any material is defined by the relative
change in the material’s volume per unit of pressure variation
at constant temperature
1 ⎛ ∂V ⎞
c = − ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (1.6)
V ⎝ ∂p ⎠ T
• It can be expressed in terms of density
1 ⎛ ∂ρ ⎞
c e = − ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (1.7)
ρ ⎝ ∂p ⎠ T
Compressibility…/2
For an oil reservoir, when decompression occurs, the fluid is
produced:
• By expansion of the fluids
• By a decrease in the pore volume Vp
Compressibility…/3
When decompression occurs, the fluid pressure decreases while the
lithostatic pressure remains constant. The pore volume decreases,
thereby causing general fluid production:
ΔVp = − c p Vp Δp (1.10)
The overall compressibility of a pore volume unit is due to the sum
of all its compressible components:
c t = c o So + c w S w + c p
Compressibility…/4
The reservoir is modeled by:
• an incompressible porous rock with a
porosity of φSo
• an a fluid of equivalent compressibility
c o So + c w S w + c p
ce = (1.11)
So
Compressibility…/5
Order of magnitude:
The diffusivity equation governs the variations
in a pressure in the reservoir versus time. It is
based on two laws and one equation of state:
– Fluid flow equation (Darcy’s)
– Material balance
– Equation of states
Diffusion Equation…/2
Fluid flow equation (Darcy’s) :
– applied microscopically during the time interval
when the various parameters and the flow rate
can be considered constant.
– gravitational forces are disregarded.
→ k
V = − grad p (1.3)
μ
Diffusion Equation…/3
Material balance
– the variation in mass fluid contained in the
reservoir volume unit is equal to the difference
between the amount of the fluid input and output
during the time interval:
→ ∂ (ρφ So )
div ρ V + =0 (1.12)
∂t
Diffusion Equation…/4
Equation of states
– the gravity of the fluid varies with pressure and the
variation is shown by the equivalent compressibility
of the flowing fluid:
1 ⎛ ∂ρ ⎞
C e = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (1.7)
ρ ⎝ ∂p ⎠ T
Diffusion Equation…/5
Considering the material balance equation and
express filtrate rate and density versus pressure
using Darcy’s law and the equation of state, we will
get the following pressure equation:
(
Δp = c e grad p )−
2 φ μc t ∂p
k ∂t
=0 (1.13)
Diffusion Equation…/6
• Providing two assumptions:
– fluid flow is low and constant: this is the case for a liquid not
for a gas;
– pressure gradient are low: this is the case in reservoirs
where flow rates are small;
( ) 2
– c e grad p is small compared the two other terms of
equation;
The equation is reduced to
1 ∂p
Δp = − =0 (1.14)
K ∂t
Diffusion Equation…/7
k is call the hydraulic diffusivity of
K=
φ μc t the porous medium
∂ p 1 ∂p 1 ∂p
2
= − =0 (1.15)
∂r 2
r ∂r K ∂t
Solving the Diffusivity Equation
• The assumption that is usually made is to
suppose that
– the reservoir is homogeneous, isotropic, with constant
thickness and limited by impermeable boundaries.
– the well penetrates the total reservoir thickness.
– the fluid compressibility and viscosity are constant
and uniform using the following boundary condition:
• uniform initial pressure, pi
• infinite reservoir
• constant flow rate in the well that is considered to have an
infinitesimal radius.
Solving the Diffusivity Equation…/2
• The variation in pressure versus time and the
distance from the well verify the equation:
qBμ ⎛ −r ⎞
2
p i − p (r, t) = − Ei ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ (1.16)
4π kh ⎝ 4Kt ⎠
1 ⎡ rD2 ⎤
p D = − Ei ⎢− ⎥
2 ⎣ 4t D ⎦
Solving the Diffusivity Equation…/4
kh (in practical
pD = Δp
141.2 qBμ US units)
kh
pD = Δp (in practical metric
18.66 qBμ units)
Solving the Diffusivity Equation…/5
r
Length: rD =
rw
k Δt
Time: tD = (in SI units)
φ μc t rw2
⎛ r2 ⎞
q (r, t) = qB exp ⎜⎜ − ⎟⎟ (1.17)
⎝ 4Kt ⎠
where
q is the wellhead flow rate
qB is the bottomhole flow rate
Compressible Zone…/2
Compressible Zone…/3
• On the flow profile it can be seen that between
the wellbore and r1 the flow rate almost the
same value as near the wellbore. Darcy’s law is
applicable macroscopically in these areas.
kt
ri = 4 (in SI units) (1.18)
φ μc t
Radius of Investigation…/2
• Poettmann’s definition:
– The radius of investigation is the point in the reservoir
where the flow is to 1% of the well flow rates:
kt
ri = 4.29 (in SI units) (1.19)
φ μc t
Radius of Investigation…/3
• J. Lee and Muskat’s definition:
– The radius of investigation is the point where the
pressure variations are the fastest:
The variations are given by the equation below (1.16)
qBμ ⎛ − r 2 ⎞
p i − p (r, t) = − Ei ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
4π kh ⎝ 4Kt ⎠
Radius of Investigation…/4
The pressure variations are equal to:
dp qBμ exp − r 2
=
( ) (1.20)
dt 4π kh 4Kt
The variations is at a maximum for
d 2p r2
2
= 0, i.e. for =1
dt 4Kt
Radius of Investigation…/5
In other terms
kt
ri = 2 (in SI units) (1.21)
φ μc t
kt
ri = 0.032 (in practical US units) (1.22)
φ μc t
kt
ri = 0.038 (in practical metric units) (1.23)
φ μc t
Flow Regimes
• Transient flow:
– Until the compressible zone reaches the
boundaries of the reservoir or comes under
the influence of another well, the reservoir
behaves as if it was infinite for testing
purposes.
– During this period the flow regime is called
transient.
Flow Regimes…/2
• Pseudosteady‐state flow:
– When the compressible zone reaches a
series of no‐flow boundaries, the flow
regimes pseudosteady‐state.
– This is the type of flow in producing
reservoir with no flow boundaries.
Flow Regimes…/3
• Steady‐state flow:
– When the compressible zone is affected by
some constant pressure outer boundaries, the
flow becomes steady‐state.
– This is the type of flow in a reservoir producing
under gas‐cap or water drive conditions when
the mobility of the water is high compared to
that of the oil
Equation (1.4) becomes:
p i − p(t) =
qBμ
2π kh
[
p D (t p + Δt) − p D (Δt) ] (1.25)
Principle of Superposition…/5
• Multirate testing
Principle of Superposition…/6
For multirate testing (Fig. 1.6)
Bμ n
p i − p(t) = ∑
2π kh i =1
(q i − q i −1 ) p D (t − t i −1 ) (1.26)
ΔV
C=− (2.1)
Δp
where
ΔV = the volume variation of fluid in the well under well
condition
Δp = the variation in pressure applied to the well
Wellbore Storage Definition…/5
• Wellbore storage is homogeneous with the
product of a volume by a compressibility.
• A dimensionless factor is related to wellbore
storage defined by:
C
CD = (in SI and practical metric units) (2.2)
2π φ c t hrw2
0.89 C
CD = (in practical US units) (2.3)
φ c t hrw2
End of the Wellbore Storage Effect
• Ramey’s criterion
i.e. approximately:
(200 000 + 12 000 S) C (in practical US
t= (2.12)
kh units)
μ
where S is the skin of the well
End of the Wellbore Storage Effect…/2
• Chen and Brigham’s criterion:
i.e. approximately:
170 000 C exp (0.14 S) (in practical US
t= (2.14)
kh units)
μ
where S is the skin of the well.
End of the Wellbore Storage Effect…/3
• Rule of thumb:
– This criterion can be applied to the representation used
for type curves. This representation shows pressure
variations versus time on log‐log graph.
– The period when the well storage effect prevails is
represented by a straight lime with a slope of 1.
– The rule of thumbs locates the end of the wellbore
storage effect at the intersection of the measurement
point curve and the line parallel to the slope 1 line
translated by 1.5 cycles (Fig. 2.3).
End of the Wellbore Storage Effect…/4
Skin Definition
• The vicinity of the wellbore has characteristics that
are different from those in the reservoir as a result
of drilling and well treatment operations.
• The skin effect reflects the difference in pressure
drop that exists in the vicinity of the well between:
– the reservoir as it is, and
– as it would be if its characteristics (especially
permeability) were uniform right up to the wellbore.
Skin Definition…/2
• The skin effects reflects the connection between the
reservoir and the well. The difference in pressure
drop in the vicinity of the wellbore can be
interpreted in several ways:
– by using infinitesimal skin;
– skin of a finite thickness;
– or the effective radius method.
Infinitesimal Skin
• The additional pressure drop due to the skin effect
is defined by:
α qBμ
Δp s = S (3.1)
kh
with
α = 1/2π (in SI units)
α = 141.2 (in practical US units)
α = 18.66 (in practical metric units)
Infinitesimal Skin…/2
• In Hurst and Van Everdingen’s approach, the pressure drop
due to the skin effect is located in an infinitely thin film
around the wellbore.
qBμ rs qBμ rs
Δp s = ln − ln
2π k s h rw 2π kh rw
⎛k ⎞ rs
S = ⎜⎜ − 1⎟⎟ ln (3.2)
⎝ k s ⎠ rw
Effective Radius
• The effective radius method consists in replacing the real
well with a radius rw and skin S by a fictitious well with a
radius rw’ and zero skin.
Effective Radius.../2
• Radius rw’ is determined to have a pressure drop between rs
and rw’ in the fictitious well equal to the pressure drop
between rs and rw in the real well:
Δp (r'w , S = 0) = Δp (rw , S)
• Expressing the pressure drop with Darcy’s law:
qBμ rs qBμ ⎛ rs ⎞
ln = ⎜⎜ ln + S ⎟⎟
2π kh r'w 2π kh ⎝ rw ⎠
We get:
r'w = rw exp (− S) (3.3)
Generalization of the Skin Concept
The skin can be used to account for:
• Perforations:
– The flow restriction due to the perforation hole:
a positive skin;
– The punctured reservoir due to the perforating
operation itself: a negative skin (minifracture);
– The fact that only some of the perforations are
active: a positive skin.
Generalization of the Skin Concept…/2
• Inclined wells:
– The inclination of a well improves flow in the
vicinity of the wellbore and contributes to
negative skin.
• Partially perforating the reservoir
– Perforating only part of the thickness of the
reservoir causes a restriction in the stream
lines near the wellbore and contributes to
positive skin.
Generalization of the Skin Concept…/3
• Hydraulic fracturing:
– Hydraulic fracturing considerably improves the
flow around the wellbore. It produces a negative
skin.
• A horizontal well:
– A horizontal well can under certain conditions
be treated as a vertical well with negative skin
due to the improvement to flow brought about
by the well.
Generalization of the Skin Concept…/4
• Gas well: deviation from Darcy’s law
– The fluid velocity in the vicinity of a gas well is
often high. Flow does not follow Darcy’s law
near the well.
– Positive skin, depending on the flow rate, show
the additional pressure drop due to the
deviation from Darcy’s law.
Generalization of the Skin Concept…/5
• Injection skin:
– Injection of fluid (water, polymers, etc) into the
reservoir creates a zone of different mobility in
the vicinity of the wellbore.
– It causes additional pressure drop that can also
be considered as a skin when the compressible
zone is beyond the fluid injection radius.
Generalization of the Skin Concept…/6
• Geological skin:
– A well in a low‐input lens can be reflected by a
skin.
• The reservoir has the characteristics of the
distant regions that supply the lens;
• The skin reflects the characteristics of the
lens
References
1. Bourdarot, Gilles : Well Testing: Interpretation
Methods, Éditions Technip, 1998.
2. Internet.